Part 2 - Scene Extract
Task 1
Costume
Costume could be applied to the play to help the audience distinguish the characters and their levels in society. For example, Lucky, the poorest of the group, could have old, brown torn clothes with white stains, black gloves, a hat and no shoes. Estragon and Vladimir, both in the middle level of society, could have moderately wealthy, slightly scruffy black clothes with a hat, casual shoes and moderatelly neat hair, and Pozzo, the wealthiest of them all, could have a neat, white suite with a top hat, posh, polished shoes and slick hair. These distinguished costumes for each characters level in society would further convey the intended meaning of the play (that life is without meaning) by the displayed ratio of the rich compared to the poor. That is, the poorer you are (the grubbier you look), the more you get ordered around and the less important life is. Therefore, because there’s only a small number of rich people (only Pozzo), the majority of the world is without meaning.
Costume could be applied to the play to help the audience distinguish the characters and their levels in society. For example, Lucky, the poorest of the group, could have old, brown torn clothes with white stains, black gloves, a hat and no shoes. Estragon and Vladimir, both in the middle level of society, could have moderately wealthy, slightly scruffy black clothes with a hat, casual shoes and moderatelly neat hair, and Pozzo, the wealthiest of them all, could have a neat, white suite with a top hat, posh, polished shoes and slick hair. These distinguished costumes for each characters level in society would further convey the intended meaning of the play (that life is without meaning) by the displayed ratio of the rich compared to the poor. That is, the poorer you are (the grubbier you look), the more you get ordered around and the less important life is. Therefore, because there’s only a small number of rich people (only Pozzo), the majority of the world is without meaning.
Set
The set could be transformed to, again, distinguish the levels of each character in society and send the message of disconnection to the audience through adding in different levels of height in the set. For example, the set could contain 4 hills, with the smallest hill on the right, the 2 medium – sized hills on the left and the largest hill at the back with a single tree at the top. The three characters could then interact while standing on these small hills, lucky on the bottom hill, Estragon and Vladimir on the middle – sized hills and Pozzo on the top. The characters would remain on their separate hills and only move to another's hill when they need to be close to the other characters (for example, when Estragon and Vladmir are examining Lucky, or when Lucky sends items to Pozzo). The colour of these hills also aid in symbolising the level of poverty for each character; the larger the hills are, the brighter the colour is and the less poverty the character is faced with. These levels would convey the intended meaning, that life is without meaning, from the ratio of the rich compared to the poor (as explained in Costume). It would also demonstrate the theme of disconnection displayed in the film through the isolation/disconnection each character has away from the others on their separate hills.
The set could be transformed to, again, distinguish the levels of each character in society and send the message of disconnection to the audience through adding in different levels of height in the set. For example, the set could contain 4 hills, with the smallest hill on the right, the 2 medium – sized hills on the left and the largest hill at the back with a single tree at the top. The three characters could then interact while standing on these small hills, lucky on the bottom hill, Estragon and Vladimir on the middle – sized hills and Pozzo on the top. The characters would remain on their separate hills and only move to another's hill when they need to be close to the other characters (for example, when Estragon and Vladmir are examining Lucky, or when Lucky sends items to Pozzo). The colour of these hills also aid in symbolising the level of poverty for each character; the larger the hills are, the brighter the colour is and the less poverty the character is faced with. These levels would convey the intended meaning, that life is without meaning, from the ratio of the rich compared to the poor (as explained in Costume). It would also demonstrate the theme of disconnection displayed in the film through the isolation/disconnection each character has away from the others on their separate hills.
Task 2
In order to build and create character, actors would have to:
- Use a variety of grotesque movements. That is, actors need to be able to move in a variety of different and misshapen ways to build the bizarre characters presented in Absurdist theatrical productions. They also need to have physical dexterity when moving around in order to symbolize and send a clear message to the audience about what they’re talking about through movement.
- Use variable vocal projections. Actors need to have a wide range of volumes and textures in order to create the absurd environment in the productions. They also need to have the vocal variety to express their character; their characteristics, mood and personality, and to help communicate, along with movement, their message (that may be hidden behind the absurd language that they use).
- Use a variety of paces, as appropriate, when delivering their lines. This enables there to be some variety in the tempo and rhythm of the production as it goes along (preventing it from being the same tempo all the way through) and it enables tension and suspense to be formed through pauses and silences. Comic humor can also be created as paces speed up and slow down, and the underlying message, that life is meaningless, can be revealed through the slowness and lengthy pauses representing the torture of time.
Task 3
- I would direct actors to use their body to distort themselves and create alienated figures that audience members aren’t used to (in order to create the absurd environment). I’d also direct actors to use their vocal range to create a variety of unusual, real and non-real sounds and noises. I’d encourage them to use unusual pauses and silences throughout their speech and to vary their speech patterns and vocal rhythms, although I’d warn them not to overdo the variety and violate the philosophical intention.
- In “Waiting For Godot” in particular, the actors are constantly disconnected from one another. To present this disconnection in the film and send the message of disconnection to the audience, I would instruct actors to, at times, use their focus, timing and mood to establish the isolated space between each character. Focus can be used to establish disconnection by the character speaking facing and keeping their focus away from the character listening. Timing can be used by characters speaking over each other (to inform the audience that they’re not listening to one another) and mood can be used by making characters have different emotions to the other character/s in the scene (making them detached from their emotional state of mind).
- In the absurdist style, I would instruct crew to develop an alienated environment for the audience. I would instruct lighting and sound to use non-naturalistic colors, effects and sounds to cause visual and audible frenzy for the audience. I would instruct costume designers to create clashing and gaudy colors (e.g. black suits with yellow shoes etc.) for make-up designers to use excessive make-up to clash with the costumes and create an absurdist look for each character. In “Waiting for Godot” in particular, I wouldn’t use too much frantic lighting or sound (except for Lucky’s monologue, which could use some rhythmic or ritualistic, non-naturalistic sound and lighting to build the intensity of the scene), but, instead, use dark, grey colors and minimal sound to establish the meaninglessness in the performance.
- In “Waiting For Godot” in particular, the actors are constantly disconnected from one another. To present this disconnection in the film and send the message of disconnection to the audience, I would instruct actors to, at times, use their focus, timing and mood to establish the isolated space between each character. Focus can be used to establish disconnection by the character speaking facing and keeping their focus away from the character listening. Timing can be used by characters speaking over each other (to inform the audience that they’re not listening to one another) and mood can be used by making characters have different emotions to the other character/s in the scene (making them detached from their emotional state of mind).
- In the absurdist style, I would instruct crew to develop an alienated environment for the audience. I would instruct lighting and sound to use non-naturalistic colors, effects and sounds to cause visual and audible frenzy for the audience. I would instruct costume designers to create clashing and gaudy colors (e.g. black suits with yellow shoes etc.) for make-up designers to use excessive make-up to clash with the costumes and create an absurdist look for each character. In “Waiting for Godot” in particular, I wouldn’t use too much frantic lighting or sound (except for Lucky’s monologue, which could use some rhythmic or ritualistic, non-naturalistic sound and lighting to build the intensity of the scene), but, instead, use dark, grey colors and minimal sound to establish the meaninglessness in the performance.
Task 4
- That life is meaningless
- That there is a lack of communication between each character
- That time is a large barrier for each character
- That there is a lack of communication between each character
- That time is a large barrier for each character